If you haven’t seen my style posts for Villa Samadhi, you can read them here and here.

Enjoying the best of both worlds in all aspects of life is something I strongly believe in, and whilst the beau and I choose to spend the majority of our time in sprawling cities, we do maintain a strong preference to retreat-like sanctuaries whenever we’re looking to recollect and spend some uninterrupted quality time with each other, preferably around nature and its elements. Discovering beautiful places around the world to nest in and enjoy the slower side of life is something we both luxuriate in given our busy schedules, and what better locale to start this journey of me meticulously documenting everything in than right here at home?

A natural-luxe oasis nestled in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Villa Samadhi was the perfect place for us to spend some time away from everything without actually needing to leave the city. Housing only twenty-one rooms to preserve the tranquility of the residence, this discreet hideaway conceptualises its collection of rooms into five distinct categories, each differing in design and layout without gravitating too far from its philosophy of space and the beauty of raw materials.

We opted for one of the four ground-floor Luxe Sarang villas, sumptuous yet highly intimate — do note that these are highly sought-after and will require bookings far in advance. The villa ushers you in to your very own sun-drenched, bird of paradise-filled garden courtyard complete with a daybed and plunge pool (accompanied by a huge jar of bath salts for good measure) amongst other rattan furnishings. We took delight in a lazy, late-afternoon soak prior to pre-dinner cocktails at Bumbung, their quiet rooftop bar which was especially lovely at sundown.

Villa Samadhi’s emphasis on raw yet refined natural elements are evident in the villa, from salvaged timber and charcoal to bamboo and dried grass, all beautifully married with accents of coloured fabric and striking Asian sculptures. Rich, earthy tones run throughout and it was all very sensuous, warm, inviting. Definitely very equatorial. The massive elevated king-sized bed with its embroidered cushions promised a good night’s sleep, and the bamboo-walled bathroom hosted double rain showers. Yes, double. The pièce de résistance of the villa however, was hidden behind white muslin curtains — wooden and glass doors leading to your personal patio with direct access to the lagoon-like pool, which we took full advantage of past midnight when it was at its quietest, soaking in the stillness of the water and playing with the affectionate resident dogs, feeling every bit in paradise.

I love how they take pride in the smaller, more personal details, from the chilled ginger tea and scented towel served upon arrival, to the platter of local cakes and crystal decanter of cognac hand-delivered to your villa later in the day. All complimentary, of course. With such personalised service, all we could do was simply resign to the lull of nature whilst being ensconced by lush flora and the fragrant scent of flowers.

Thank you for the magnificent time, Samadhi Retreats. We’ll definitely be coming back.